OCTOBER 28, 2021
RUSSIA
Eighty-Year-Old Retired Schoolteacher Faces Prosecution for Speaking About the Bible
UPDATE | Russian Court Rejects Sister Yelena Savelyeva’s Appeal
On February 14, 2022, the Tomsk Regional Court rejected Sister Yelena Savelyeva’s appeal. She is not required to go to prison at this time.
Time Line
November 17, 2021
The Severskiy City Court of the Tomsk Region convicted Yelena and imposed a suspended prison sentence of four years. The prosecutor had previously requested a fine of 500,000 rubles ($7,198 U.S.) for 80-year-old Yelena
July 22, 2021
The court held an initial hearing
March 25, 2021
Russian prosecutors opened a criminal case against Yelena. She is accused of “persuading, recruiting, or otherwise inducing a person to participate in the activity of an extremist organization” under Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.
The charges are based on the testimonies of two women with whom Yelena shared Bible teachings: an FSB agent and an employee of the Russian National Guard. While feigning interest in the Bible, the women secretly recorded their conversations with Yelena and sent information about her and her fellow believers to law enforcement
Profile
We take courage from Yelena’s determination to remain firm in the face of persecution. We are confident that Jehovah takes note of all those ‘striving side by side for the faith of the good news, and in no way being frightened by their opponents.’—Philippians 1:27, 28.